All That Glitters
by Sealgirl
Summary: COMPLETE. Alt Episode of The Gardens of Zinn. Just why did Zinn need a husband? And what would have happened if Eric hadn’t run off! Rated for Language and Adult Situations
1. Blissful Ignorance

**DISCLAIMER**: Characters from the cartoon series belong to someone else, but what happens to them is entirely my own doing.

**STORY**: Alt Episode of The Gardens of Zinn. Just why did Zinn need a husband? And what would have happened if Eric hadn't run off! (Rate for Language and Adult Situations)

**RATING**: R

**PROMPT**: Written for the LJ Darkfic Challenge, #85 Indifference.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Blissful Ignorance

Zinn, the beautiful city of Zinn. It left him cold.

He was in shock.

The others had gone barely minutes before, and Eric wandered the halls in the company of his bride to be, hardly listening to a word she said as she strolled round the gardens and the castle, holding him by the arm.

He couldn't think straight. He couldn't get past the one, simple fact: He was going to be married.

What the fuck had he done! What had he gotten himself into! He was about to get married! He was about to GET MARRIED!!

The reality of the situation was starting to hit him and he just kept walking along beside Zinn in a daze hoping she wouldn't notice the panic was growing at the enormity of what he'd done: He was going to get married.

_He was going to get married._

Saying it again and again didn't seem to help at all.

The woman by his side, his future wife, was walking and talking, pointing out various attractive parts of the castle. It appeared that she wasn't going to give up any time soon, either as everything they passed was fascinating and worthy of attention at the moment, but all Eric could do was smile and nod, at the appropriate points.

He was going to get married.

Oh shit.

He was going to get married.

But it wasn't just that; there were other worries churning inside him.

He was alone. They'd left him alone. The others had just left him behind and continued on their way to find another portal home.

Worse, at the time he'd wanted to stay! His powers of reasoning had been totally overwhelmed by all that gold, all those beautiful, shiny things she shad shown him. And barely hidden underneath all that was the promise of something more; she was to be his queen, she was to be his wife! His WIFE! And together, they were going to do… _to_…_ do_…

His stomach lurched once more.

At the moment, he was dreading it. He was a teenage boy, sure, but frankly he had no idea what to do beyond what he'd seen in films. He'd seen a couple of Penthouses too, but apart from making him feel fantastic, they didn't give him much of a clue either.

He gulped. This wasn't helping the situation. He had to try and pull himself together and stop panicking. He would just have to make it up he went along. How difficult could it be, anyway! Everyone managed to figure it out!

Zinn was still talking, pointing out various parts of the Castle, and he was now totally lost and barely listening to a word she said. He just smiled and nodded, wondering what the others were doing.

Was Bobby ok now? Was Sheila safe with Solarz? Had they come to regret leaving him behind? Did they miss him? Were they thinking about him at all?

_He was going to get married!! Oh, God!_

He could think of nothing else.

The feeling of detachment stayed with him for the whole day. They could have gone marching round in circle for all he knew! The city and castle merged into some sort of blur, but he didn't care.

He only can back to reality with a nasty bump when strange little Gnome people started draping long, red robes over his shoulders.

He looked around. He was in some staterooms, presumably his own rooms. And he was getting ready. For his marriage.

He was going to get married: Very, very soon!

The Cavalier tried to argue with the Gnomes, but the right words wouldn't come out, and he couldn't think of what to say. So they just kept on working, draping ornate clothes over him, fussing over the colour and the way the fabric lay over his armour. They seemed almost impossible to please.

Finally, a beautiful golden crown was placed on his head, and he looked at himself in the mirror, seeing the gold glitter and the jewels sparkle. He stared at himself, feeling the heaviness of the crown, and realised it was too late to back out now.

It was far, far too late!

* * *

It was done. It was over. He was a married man.

At the feast afterwards, Eric was congratulated by a vast variety of people (his subjects!!) and fed a wonderful meal. There had been a lot of singing and celebrating, and everyone there had a marvellous time. Well, almost everyone.

He was the only one _not_ having a marvellous time. He'd never thought much about being married before; but however he had expected to feel, it wasn't like this!

He felt numb. He felt empty. He felt terrified.

This wasn't what he'd ever imagined a wedding would be. He had been to a wedding of one of his cousins not long before he arrived in the Realm, and that had been different. If he was being honest, that had been better, even though it was small, and at the time Eric had been rather scornful of the whole business.

_But this wasn't just a wedding, this was a coronation. He was a king!_ he reminded himself. _A king, a rich king at that!_

Strangely, that didn't make him feel any better.

He'd had a nasty turn when the official had started listing all his titles and duties, but the thought of all that gold had calmed his nerves a little. And then it was over. It was done, he was married and that was that!

And now he had other things to worry about.

The prospect of his wedding night preyed on his mind. Oh god, what was he going to do? Was she going to laugh at him? Was she going to be disappointed? Was she even going to like him!

He looked around him, suddenly realising everyone was looking at him and the room was totally silent. His stomach dropped about fifteen feet.

Zinn was looking at him, obviously trying to tell him something, judging by her expression, he didn't like that expression; it was much like the one she had had at the end of the ceremony, when they had been pronounced man and wife (or whatever the old man had said!). It was cold, it was calculating and almost… predatory. He shivered, and looked back, trying to smile.

Zinn jerked her head slightly to one side, towards the door.

Then he understood.

It was time to go: Upstairs!

Together.

He tried once again to smile and appear calm as he stepped shakily towards his wife, and hoped that his total terror didn't show on his face.

Once by her side, she took his arm and smiled round at the people present.

'My subjects!' she said, her voice ringing with a happiness that made Eric feel even worse. 'My subjects, this coronation is now at an end!'

The room erupted in wild cheers that lasted for minutes. When they finally settled down, Zinn continued.

'Now, this kingdom is complete! We have a king, and we have a wonderful future of peace and prosperity to look forward too!'

There were more cheers, and Zinn smiled and waved at her subjects.

He wasn't sure what he had expected to happen then, but the guests all started to leave. That was good, as Eric was getting tired of all this showing off in front of the eager crowd, but it seemed that they weren't going to leave quickly!

In fact, he and Zinn had to personally say goodbye to each and every one of the hundreds of guests! It took well over two hours before the hall was empty and by the end of it, Eric was almost dead on his feet.

Zinn, however seemed as radiant and relaxed as she had all day. She smiled at him, as the last guest left, and Eric gave a huge effort and smiled back. But instead of anticipation, all he felt was a terrible cold empty fear.

He was alone with his wife… _his wife_!

She took his arm once more and together they walked out of the empty hall. They walked slowly up the stairs in silence, and she led him down the hall to a room near to the one he had been in before.

This was it!

They stopped at the door, letting her hand slide sensuously down his arm as she broke their contact, and she looked expectantly at him.

It was every teenage boys dream: A beautiful woman who wanted him in her bed.

But actually, all he wanted to do at that very moment was fall into bed and go to sleep for a very, very long time!

He opened his mouth to give some excuse but no words came out, it was one of the few times he was truly lost for words. What was he supposed to say anyway, how was he supposed to think up an excuse, on his wedding night!

Zinn smiled sweetly once more, but the way she did it had Eric fooled into thinking that she was laughing at him. Then she spoke.

'I know our customs might seem quaint,' she said, looking demurely downwards to the perfectly decorated floor. 'I understand that a man such as you, a warrior and a knight that has travelled this Realm and searched out so many secrets would not expected the Old Ways to be still practiced, but…' she looked into his eyes, beseechingly, '… I would asked that our respect our ways, now you are King of this mighty Kingdom.'

It went without saying that Eric had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. He just kept looking at her, hoping she would tell him straight out what she expected him to do next.

Zinn opened the door beside them and took a tiny step inside.

'I knew you were a man of honour,' she said. 'And I thank you from the depths of my heart.'

She flashed him that same unnerving, dangerous and outwardly sweet smile, then shut the door in his face.

* * *


	2. Acute Anticipation

Chapter 2

Acute Anticipation

Eric waited. He got to be pretty good at it.

The days passed and he just waited. There wasn't much else he could do. But he grew bored in his pampered palace. Before the Realm he had been used to this level of inactivity, but now he was just bored.

He only saw his Queen in passing, as she hurried from important meeting to public function and back to important meeting again.

In fact, since that first evening, they had hardly said two words to each other.

And they still hadn't done… well… _that_, either, and Eric hadn't pushed the matter, especially since she seemed to know what she was doing, and he didn't. Every night she would accompany him up the stairs and to his room, only to swiftly rebuff him.

It was beginning to seem suspicious as well. She wanted him as her husband, but she wouldn't actually let him be her husband, either. It was almost as if he was just some sort of token King.

That _very_ unpleasant thought grew, getting stronger each day; he tried not to think about it but once thought of, the idea wouldn't go away. Maybe she just needed a husband, just needed any old husband, and she hadn't wanted him at all.

That would be more than his ego could bear!

And if the others ever found out, he'd be a laughing stock for the rest of his life!

But that didn't seem to be much of a problem at the moment, and that was another thing that annoyed him.

Why hadn't they come back to visit him, like they had promised?

Bobby should have been cured, they could at least have come back to say thank you!

Weeks had passed and there was no sign of them at all. It was like they had just abandoned him, and forgotten about him completely.

He was left alone for much of the time, and in spite of what everyone thought, he didn't like to be alone. Occasionally he wondered what they were saying about him, whether they were laughing about him behind his back and making jokes about his marriage. But however much that stung to think about, it was better than the alternative: that they never even spoke about him at all!

Each day he wandered empty halls, with no one to talk to. He even found himself longing for Dungeonmaster to drop in. It must be bad if he was actually missing Dungeonmaster! He still kept his armour on, even though it looked out of place in the Palace and he had been given other clothes to wear. He was still the Cavalier, after all.

Then one day, when he had eventually tired of the Palace, he walked round to the front gates, with the idea of going out and maybe having a look around, perhaps he would be able to gather up some information about the others. But there was a heavy guard there. He hesitated for a moment, then walked up to the gate with his head held high. The tallest guard stepped in front of him.

'Sorry, sir, but you may not leave,' said the Head Guard, not looking very sorry at all.

'But I'm King!' retorted Eric in surprise. He could see the whole city just in front of him.

'Yes sir, but no one may leave the Palace! Not even Our Lady the Queen herself! It's in the Rools!'

There was nothing he could say to change their minds, and eventually he had give in. They looked at him as if he didn't understand something, and as he walked off, he had a nasty feeling that they were laughing behind his back.

Again, his thoughts strayed to the others; where were they? Had they managed to go home? Were they off looking for another portal? He was never going to see any of them again, unless they came to see him.

What if they never came back? What if he was stuck there forever, doomed to wander round the dark, dreary hall of Zinn?

He sighed.

Now he was King, what was he going to do?

* * *

The next day, while Zinn was in the court session, he took a walk round the gardens, past the huge Yellow Dragon plant that had started all his troubles. He looked at it, curled up like a shrivelled claw and frowned, thinking of the others and how they had abandoned him here. He was enjoying the peace in the beautiful garden, not expecting anyone to disturb him. But there was the noise of movement behind him and he turned. Someone was there!

'G...greetings, my King,' said a quiet voice. For a moment his heart leap, thinking that at least Dungeonmaster hadn't forgotten about him. But as he turned he realised it wasn't Dungeonmaster. Whoever it was was too tall for a start!

The man was about the same height as Eric and just a few years older, and was clearly a gardener. His plain, unflattering clothes were streaked in mud and he smelt of grass. In his hand was a long hoe with a hook on the end. Eric looked at him warily.

'Hello,' he said at last.

The man bowed low to the ground, and Eric felt a twinge of pride and authority at the gesture. At least someone around here showed him some respect!

'My name is Rayner,' he said. 'I tend the grounds, from here to the western wall.' He pointed to the west, and a long, long, _long_way away over a vast sea of grass and trees was a wall.

'Oh,' replied Eric, now suddenly aware how out of his depth he was. What did King say in this sort of situation? 'Um… do you… you know… like it?'

'_Like it_, my King?' he asked. His confusion gave way to veiled anger. 'It is my trusted task! Who has dared to say that I do not care for my trusted task?

'No! No! That's not what I mean,' said Eric hurriedly. 'It's just that it's such a big area and I thought…'

'They say that I cannot tend it properly!' said Rayner aghast. 'They think I shirk my duty to my Queen and my City!'

'NO!' said Eric in a panic. 'No! Look, I didn't mean…!'

But Rayner was looking shaken. He hurriedly bowed once more to Eric and muttered some sort of formal goodbye, before vanishing back into the gardens.

Eric watched him go with a sinking feeling.

_Oh, shit! _Why did he keep on doing this? The first person he'd actually had a "normal" conversation with in over two weeks and he managed to piss him off.

The incident weighed on Eric's mind for the rest of the morning; much, much more than it should have done under other circumstances. In the end, Eric found it impossible to concentrate on anything else, in his mind's eye he could see the miserable crest-fallen look on the other man's face. But when he tried to look for the gardener in the grounds of the Palace, Rayner was nowhere to be found.

The next morning, Eric decided to continue his search for the other man, as if the search itself gave his life a tiny little more meaning, other than just something to do. He was getting a little better at finding his way around the Palace and grounds, and he mostly knew where he was going. It wasn't easy, and he still couldn't find the gardener, but he was glad to be actually _doing_ something, rather than pacing around like an aimless, caged animal.

That day, Eric paused at the main gate, looking out to the city beyond. Rayner probably didn't live in the grounds. He must have had a home and a family, or someone to talk to at least. But there was no way Eric could get out. The guards were still there.

At gates was a throng of people, all looking in at the wonderful Palace, with looks of awe on their faces, and Eric scowled at them, jealous that they should be free and he was stuck here behind bars and…

Something attracted his attention, and Eric stared. One of the crowd seemed almost familiar.

His heart caught in his throat. It was Bobby! Damn it he was sure! Bobby! It must have been the only time he was ever pleased to see the little squirt!

He opened his mouth to call out, but the young boy took one look at him and disappeared, before Eric could move.

The moment was gone, and all Eric could do was just stare at the place where the boy had been.

* * *


	3. Merciful Release

Chapter 3

Merciful Release

He was almost absent from dinner that evening. For once in his life, he had no desire to sit at the glided table and be waited on, or served fancy food, or any of it. He was sick of the Palace and sick of being cooped up with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

If it hadn't been for the summons, Eric would have stayed locked in his rooms, sulking.

But he'd never been summoned before.

It was odd.

He almost refused, still. He was in no mood to be talked at, or have to face his wife at the moment. But still, this was her city. He was her husband. And he had been summoned. Better to find out why that to stay sulking up in his room. Better to go out and actually do something, even if it was just enjoy an expensive dinner.

So, in the end, his curiosity got the better of him. He dressed in the plain, loose clothes that had been laid out for him and walked down the winding stairs to the vast dinning room.

As he walked down the steps, he started to feel nervous, for no real reason that he could understand. It seemed warmed than before, he could feel the change in temperature as he descended the stairs, and as he approached the dinning room he could hear the roar of a fire in the grate.

He almost stumbled as he entered. Queen Zinn was already there. And that, more than the vast mountains of food on the table in front of him, caught his attention. She was wrapped in a soft, white, silken robe that plunged at the neckline, and her long dark hair was loose around her shoulders. Eric had never seen anyone who looked so… _he struggled to find the right word to describe her_… so… beautiful.

As stepped towards the table, she smiled at him and somehow he smiled back and together they sat down.

It was the most incredible dinner he had ever had. Rather than sit at opposite ends of the table, they sat together, intimately at one end. They shared dinner, mostly rare Zinnian delicacies that he had never heard of before, food that Zinn said she had had prepared specially by the cooks for him.

The food didn't matter at all, as Eric could barely eat for staring at her cleavage.

But for all the smiles and happy, relaxed air of his Queen, Eric felt supremely uncomfortable for the whole meal. She looked at him almost all the time, taking care to keep looking into his eyes. She flicked her hair back a lot as well, as if she wasn't used to wearing it in that style. She leaned over a lot too, distracting him form the food even more. And why was it so hot, anyway?

At the end, as he was sipping a sweet, peach-flavoured wine, she leaned forward and took his hand. She smiled at him, and he was reminded of something about the look in her eye, as they were married. She had looked so pleased with herself, so selfish and arrogant. But that was gone from her expression now, wasn't it? She looked at him with affection, maybe even anticipation. Eric shivered in spite of the heat.

'Come upstairs with me,' she said softly.

A strange mix of lust and fear swept over him. This was it. This was… IT!

_Oh God! _What was he going to do!

Fortunately Zinn didn't seemed to notice his panic, either that or she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she took his arm and led him out of the dinning hall and upstairs towards her room.

It took all Eric's concentration to keep walking and not do anything stupid. The stairs seemed to last forever and he found he had to hold on to the wall as she opened her door.

The moment the door was closed behind them, she stepped up to him pressing her body against his and placed a kiss on his lips. Then another one. Then a longer one.

_Kissing._

Yes, he could do kissing. He closed his eyes, and just copied everything that Zinn did.

_Kissing. _Kissing was good.

Her hand snaked up his torso to his shirt and popped the first button then she ran her fingers lightly over the exposed part of his neck and chest.

In spite of his sudden lack of air, and the general difficultly he had breathing, he didn't stop her, but in turn placed his hands on her hips. She didn't object to that; in fact she seemed to like it as she wriggled a little bit closer to him, and Eric felt the first, small rush of confidence.

This was going to be _easy_!

* * *

That night, he couldn't sleep.

Naked under the silken sheet of his wife's bed, he lay awake beside her as she slept, staring at the ornate ceiling.

It was over, it was done.

The thing he found strange was that the really didn't feel any different, apart from sore in places he never expected to be sore in! He didn't feel better or worse or anything like that.

It had been a night of firsts. The first woman he had seen naked (except in Playboy), first time he had been naked with a woman, first time he had had sex with someone. Somehow, growing up back on Earth, he seemed to have missed out on all of the bases, only to experience them all in one night.

But for all the anticipation throughout his adolescence, there was a strange kind of emptiness inside him tonight. Shouldn't he be doing something; celebrating, maybe? But he felt he should be doing something, instead of lying here in the dark admiring the intricate carvings on the roof.

Did everyone feel like this, after their first time?

It wasn't that the act itself had been a disaster. She hadn't laughed at him after she had removed his clothes; she seemed to like the muscles of his arms and chest; she had admired his manhood, and she certainly seemed to enjoy the actual _sex_-part as well, considering the noises she had made. He hadn't done anything stupid or thoughtless. True, he hadn't done anything much at all, apart from do as he was told, but that was not the point.

He glanced round at his wife as she slept, her dark hair resting over her face, covering part of her mouth. Zinn looked so beautiful, naked and worshipful, just as she had as she sat astride him, commanding him to push harder and faster. He could hardly believe that any of this was happening.

Maybe that was the problem. He hadn't really believed it would happen like that, with a woman so beautiful and powerful. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of her pale, perfect skin and the curve of her waist and breasts.

Perhaps it was that she had taken the lead in all they did together. Not that she seemed to mind his submission, but maybe he should have been more forceful, or maybe just more knowledgeable.

Part of him cringed as he thought back to their lovemaking. He had been clumsy and nervous, so very, very nervous! But every movement, every tiny feeling of passion they shared helped mask the questions and fears from his mind.

She did care for him; she did want him. He was her husband; she was his wife. So what if he had appeared naïve. So what if she had known he had never had sex before. It didn't matter. If he said it loud enough, or often enough to himself, maybe he would believe it.

He gave a soft sigh, and turned over to his side. Thinking about it wasn't making him feel any better. What he wanted now was to go to sleep; he was tired and it had been a very difficult, very draining day.

And, in the morning, they would wake up together, and perhaps spend part of the day in bed. He hadn't had breakfast in bed for a long time. As he closed his eyes, Eric smiled. He would enjoy that. After the nervousness of last night, it would be nice to have some time to relax and not feel so on edge.

And maybe it would all work out for the best. Maybe they could be a proper couple, and live happily ever after. That would be nice. After all the dangers of the Realm, the running and the hiding, that would be very nice indeed.

But when he awoke the next morning, Zinn had gone.

* * *


	4. Aftermath

Chapter 4

Aftermath

There was no sign of Queen Zinn anywhere the next day, though Eric tried to find her.

No one seemed to have seen her, and he grew tired of all the quizzical and amused looks he got from the palace guards.

So the Cavalier went back out to the Gardens. There were guards, and gardeners far away and he sat down in the sunshine hoping no one would come and bother him. But even the heat from the four suns didn't make him feel warm today, not on the inside. Inside he just felt slightly sick, but he didn't know why.

This wasn't how he'd expected it to be at all. The empty feeling he had last night was still there and Zinn's absence just made it all the more acute, as if he'd unknowingly done something wrong, or stupid or embarrassing. The doubts and the old fears were back in full force. He hated being looking down on, he hated being laughed at, especially behind his back. Maybe that was what Zinn was doing right now. And though he tried to tell himself that he was just being paranoid, it didn't seem to work.

His mood grew darker as the day drew on.

Eric was unable to focus and think about anything else, as he sat in the Garden, near to the giant Yellow Dragon's Foot plant. He had no inclination to enjoy the surroundings, and stared blankly out across the green to the Castle and the rest of the city, and out to the mountains beyond.

He stayed there for hours, not even moving when he grew hungry, with the miserable, lost feeling inside growing steadily worse. He had no idea what he was going to do next. If this was how he felt after his first time, what was he going to be like after all the other times!

'Excuse me, my Lord.'

He looked up, a sharp reprimand forming on his lips. He didn't want to be disturbed! By anyone!

But no one was there. He looked around in confusion. He certainly hadn't imagined the voice.

'Eric?'

Now he recognised the voice: it was_Sheila_!

'Sheila!' Confused, relieved, amazed, Eric just gawped. 'Sheila?'

'Um… Hi!' said the voice cautiously.

There was a pause. The Thief's sudden appearance (if that was what it could be called since she was hidden under her Cloak) at this moment, on this day, for some reason made him very uneasy, as well as strangely pleased. He was just going to ask her for an explanation when the voice spoke again.

'Where's… where's you wife?'

Eric scowled, grateful she was still invisible as he was sure he heard a giggle in her voice. This was too embarrassing for words and he didn't like being laughed at at the best of times!

'Why have you come here?' asked Eric angrily.

'Um… well… Hank sent me.'

'I hardly thought dropping by would be your own idea!' he snapped. 'Care to tell me if there was an actual reason, or were you just trying to laugh at me and annoy me?'

'Er-ic!'

He scowled and crossed his arms, pretending to ignore her. He didn't want to think about this, today of all days. The pleasure he'd had that they hadn't forgotten about him from a few moments ago vanished. He just wanted to be left along to sulk in peace.

'Eric? C'mon!'

He just crossed his arms even more tightly. Maybe she would just go away!

'What do you want,' he said tightly. He didn't like this having-a-conversation-with-an-invisible-person idea. It made him feel at a complete disadvantage. Even more so than usual! That didn't help his mood, either!

'Hank sent me,' she said. 'We've seen Dungeonmaster. He gave us a warning.'

'Why doesn't that make me feel any better!' said Eric his tone bordering on bitter.

'He said we were all in danger,' she said, carefully. 'Even you.'

'Great! Danger! What's new!'

'I think he's worried! He gave us a riddle about…'

'I'm not interested in riddles anymore, Sheila,' snapped Eric. 'I'm King. Remember?'

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Eric wondered if he had bean too harsh with the Thief. Sheila sounded worried too, and he waited for her to continue, though he had a terrible feeling he could guess where all this was leading. Messages from that crazy old dwarf were never good news!

'Bobby's much better,' Sheila said, trying too hard to sound like she was having a normal conversation.

_Good job too_, thought Eric sourly. He gave a non-committal grunt. That didn't explain where they had all been for the past few weeks! There was another silence.

'We've been staying with Solarz for the past few weeks,' she said at last. 'He's not well.'

Eric grunted again, pretending not to be interested, though he was very keen to know what the others had been doing while he had been waiting for them to deign to visit! But he wasn't going to tell _her_ that!

'But Solarz is dying,' she added. 'And we have to help him.'

_What does that have to do with me!_ thought Eric. He wasn't going to say anything! He was damned if he was going to say anything! No, no, NO!

He pursed his lips, forcing himself not to speak. Sheila tried again.

'I-I'm sorry to drop this one you,' she said, sounding nervous. 'The Phantom Stalkers. You know, Zinn's servants?' Eric nodded slightly. 'They attacked us, trying to kill us. On our way back to Bobby with the medicine.'

His heart lurched. That was… that was…

'But,' he whispered. 'That was after you left her… that was after I agreed to…'

'Yes.'

The enormity of what Sheila said slowly dawned on him. Zinn had tried to kill the others after they had left the city. After he had agreed to be her King.

He closed his eyes. _Oh, God, what had he done?_

'You're in danger from her too,' Sheila said. He scrutinised her tone for mockery. In danger from his own wife! How often had they laughed at him behind his back about this! _In danger from his own wife_, he thought, _bet they laughed themselves blue in the face over that! Bet they're still laughing now!_

'What are you trying to say?' he demanded. 'You are just trying to ruin my chance of a peaceful life!'

'Eric… look, please…'

'And just because Dungeonmaster says jump, doesn't mean I have to jump. Not anymore!'

'Eric, you…'

'And I'm happy here!'

'You don't look happy!' she retorted loudly. 'In fact when I saw you, you were looking pretty miserable.'

'Leave me alone,' he snapped, unsettled by how this conversation was going. 'You couldn't be bothered coming to see me earlier, so don't pretend you care now that _Dungeonmaster_'s shown up!'

'Eric we tried but…'

'Leave me alone!' he said again.

'She tired to have us killed!'

'Leave me alone!'

'You don't belong here!' said Sheila.

'I agreed!'

'Oh, Eric, since when did that count with you!' said Sheila in an exasperated tone.

Eric scowled, stung more deeply than he thought he would be by that comment. He stood up and glared in her general direction.

Sheila gave a sudden gasp, and she seemed to realise she had said something that upset him. But it was too late.

'I don't believe you!' he hissed at her. 'I don't believe any of this! And even if I did, I don't care!'

He stood up and stalked off.

'Eric, please listen!' Sheila called after him. 'Eric! Please!'

But he didn't turn back.

* * *

Eric stayed in his rooms for the rest of the day, sulking. He didn't even go down for dinner when he was summoned. He didn't want to look Zinn in the face at the moment; he didn't think he could, not after what had happened last night and what Sheila had said later.

Instead, he ran through the conversation with the Thief again and again, each time coming to the same conclusions.

It certainly sounded like they were laughing at him behind his back. Maybe they had even made up the "meeting" with Dungeonmaster, just to make fun of him. But then again, that wasn't really Sheila's style, even if the others did put her up to this.

Maybe he should have listened to what Sheila had to say, especially about Dungeonmaster's riddle.

Whether or not she was telling the truth was immaterial. Either way, it was too late now, now that he had managed to alienate his friends. Again.

He hated this place. Rather than feeling like a King, he felt like a pawn, being pushed around by invisible hands, not knowing what was going to happen next. He hated that feeling.

He slept badly that night. In fact he didn't sleep at all. He tossed and turned for a few hours, until after he heard the midnight bells sound out cross the castle.

Sheila's words haunted him, just as the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of his wife. Everyone seemed to know what was going on but him!

That wasn't fair!

That wasn't right!

He was going to have to do something about it!

Even though it was dark outside, the moons were still high in the night sky, and he pushed himself out of bed. Instead of dressing in the robes that were there for him, he pulled on his old armour and picked up his Shield again. Its weight on his arm made him feel safer and happier than he had in days. He'd missed being the Cavalier!

He took a long slow breath and walked over to the door.

It was his castle. He was King, wasn't he? He could do what he liked. He was going to find his wife and find out what the fuck she was up to!


	5. Minor Mishap

Chapter 5

Minor Mishap

For the hundredth time that evening, Eric cursed his decision.

What did he think he was doing? It was stupid! He was stupid for starting this!

He leaned back against the closest wall, waiting as the sound of footsteps died away. Ahead of him was the corridor that led to the Queen's public throne room, where they had been married. He had walked around, avoiding guards for a couple of hours, until finally stopping here, to think.

Tonight, the castle was very quiet, and Eric couldn't see any more of the guards around. But there were always Guards around _somewhere_, he'd learned that much about this place. Zinn was a very well guarded city, and the castle was just the same, with guards always popping up when you least expected it.

As he stood there, Eric frowned.

The Queen always had her guards around. Always. Without fail. He'd never wondered why before. This was a huge place, with fortified walls and a moat, as well as giant gates. Why did Queen Zinn need so much security?

And, perhaps more to the point, how could she be so sure of the loyalty of so many men?

His frown grew deeper, not liking the way his thoughts were going. This was not helping! He had to get on with this, now he had started. It was easy to regret stepping out of his room and starting to search the castle, and all the time he was acutely aware of how easy it would be just to turn around and go back. But he couldn't. He couldn't explain why he couldn't, he just… _couldn't_. He had come this far, he was not going to give up now, no matter how tempting it seemed. He was sick of being the last to know anything, and he had to find out what was going on.

But the problem was that he had no real idea of where he was going to look, or even where to start. He had seen most of the castle before anyway, at some point during his stay, everywhere except the high Tower, above where Zinn usually held court and where she had her royal rooms. He also hadn't been anywhere near the dungeons either. Partly because they smelled bad and there was no reason to go down there, but also because they were always very well guarded and locked.

Those were the only two places within the castle itself left to look, neither of them very appealing.

Of the two, the dungeons were the closest, and probably the more difficult to get into. So it seemed sensible to get those over and done with first, as there would be no way to get past the guards and he could give up with a clear conscience and a good excuse. Or so Eric thought.

But very much to his surprise, when he reached the correct place, the corridor was empty and the archway unguarded.

Eric hesitated, his sense of self-preservation suddenly ringing loud alarm-bells. This was probably a very, very, _very_ bad idea. Unguarded dungeons should be avoided at all costs. There was no need to do this.

He should give up.

He should just go back to bed.

But instead of turning round and walking away, he just stayed still.

_This is a bad idea,_ he reminded himself. _Bad idea._

But he didn't move. How often was he going to get a chance like this?

The corridor remained quiet and empty, and Eric sensed opportunity passing him by. If he was going to find out what Zinn was up to, now was a perfect opportunity. There were no guards to stop him.

Pulling the Shield close to his body, Eric tiptoed through the archway and up to the Dungeon door and tried the handle. It turned and the door opened slightly.

_This is even worse,_ he thought. _How can I not go down and investigate!_

From somewhere behind he heard muffled voices. The guards seemed to be returning and he had nowhere else to go but through the door.

He was almost grateful for the decision to be taken out of his hands, so he ducked through the door and pushed it shut behind him. Ahead was another set of stairs that spiralled round into darkness.

Down and down he descended, as quickly and quietly as he could, keeping his hand on the wall to help guide him. It grew colder and darker, the light from the doorway behind him growing fainter, and he had to slow down to make sure he didn't fall.

At last, after a good number of minutes, a faint, wavering orange light began to grow ahead of him, lighting the way and making it easier to walk. The light grew and grew, and Eric slowed to a stop and listened. He couldn't hear any voices. He couldn't hear anything at all.

He paused near the bottom, beside the open archway that was the source of the flickering orange light. For a minute, he didn't dare look round. But it was very exposed, standing on the stairs, and he would have nowhere to hide if anyone came down them.

Besides, he'd come this far. He couldn't turn back without taking a little peek. Just a little, tiny look, what harm could there be in that? There didn't seem to be anyone there.

Crouching low to the ground, he leaned forward to peep round the side of the archway.

He first noticed that the room was empty. There was no movement, no nothing except for the flicker of light from the fire in the hearth. He breathed a small sigh of relief, and stood up, still looking round.

It didn't look much like a dungeon. There was nothing obviously threatening or dangerous about the room, or even anything that interesting. It looked like the rooms upstairs, the same style of furniture, the same rough size.

Down one side, opposite the fireplace, a number of wooden boxes were stacked against the wall. There was a bookcase over-filled with books, as well as a couple of tables and a couple of chairs. Finally, just beside the bookcase was a full-length portrait of Queen Zinn herself, in full royal regalia, complete with golden crown, and looking unbelievable smug.

Eric scowled. He didn't like that picture. Zinn seemed to be staring at him!

After another minute, Eric plucked up enough courage to abandon his post at the archway and go into the room. He stood there, looking around, but there was nothing to see. Disappointed, Eric turned to leave the dungeons and search somewhere else.

As he did, he heard a soft noise from the stairs. Not wanting to take any chances, Eric looked around for a place to hide. His only choice was somewhere with the boxes in the corner, so he dashed to the back of the room and managed to squeeze himself behind one of them, making sure that the Shield and his bright yellow armour were well covered. He kept as still as he could, holding his breath.

There was no other sign of life for a minute, and Eric began to think he had imagined the noise and all this hiding was for nothing.

Then he heard footsteps; two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs.

He heard Zinn's voice. He craned his neck to look through the gap between boxes and saw her talking to one of the guards, one he recognised as part of her personal entourage.

'… so I have no wish to be disturbed this evening, by anyone. You will double the guard and ensure that no one interrupts. Is that clear?' She looked sternly at the guard.

'Yes, my Queen,' the guard replied.

'I hold you responsible for that, Captain.'

'Yes, my Queen.'

'And you are certain that my rooms have remained guarded, at all time this evening?' Zinn asked.

'Yes, my Queen,' the guard replied, his face as emotionless as it had been for the rest of the conversation.

But the Cavalier frowned. Had the guard just _lied_ to her? It hadn't seemed to have been guarded at all when he was there!

Eric gave a sudden, wide grin. The guard had lied to her! So much for loyalty!

'Very well. Leave me.'

The guard bowed low and left. After he had gone, the Queen waited until the footsteps had disappeared before she moved.

Whatever Eric had expected Zinn to do next was certainly not what happened next.

She walked over to the bookcase and spent a moment choosing a book, then she sat down beside a table and started to read.

For a while, Eric thought it was some sort of trick, but Zinn just sat there as calm and unruffled as ever, looking through her book.

Watching her carefully, Eric decided that she wasn't very interested in the book itself; she flicked quickly through the pages, as if searching for a good bit, then read for a minute before flicking again. To Eric, she seemed to be waiting for something to happen. After a while, he began to wonder if she actually knew he was there all along and was secretly laughing at him.

For over half and hour, Eric stayed as still as he could, hiding behind the boxes, and watching as his Queen. But his legs began to ache, and he wished he had the foresight to get comfortable before Zinn and her guard had arrived. He also wished he could stretch himself, or shift his position somehow, but he didn't dare. The Dungeon was very quiet and he was sure that any small noise would give him away.

So he gritted his teeth and waited, slowly growing more bored and more sore.

Eric had let his head rest against the nearest box, and was staring blankly at the room in front of him when Queen Zinn looked up abruptly, turning her head to one side. Something moved behind her.

_Thank God something's going to happen!_ Eric thought, with an inaudible sigh of relief. Whatever it was, it had to be better than all that waiting!

He shifted forward a little, his body sore from being in such a confined space, and peered through the gap in the boxes, hoping to see who Zinn had been waiting for.

And Eric's curiosity turned to panic as he saw who it was.

Queen Zinn was standing, looking regally down at Shadow Demon!

* * *


	6. Tactical Retreat

Chapter 6

Tactical Retreat

For the first few minute, Eric couldn't concentrate on what they were talking about. He could barely even breathe properly, let alone think! Every passing second, he was sure that his hiding place would be discovered, and he would be handed over to Shadow Demon and taken to Venger…

But after a minute, it slowly dawned on him that neither of them had the faintest idea that he was there and he was able to listen to what they were talking about.

Shadow Demon and Queen Zinn seemed to be cordial enough, on the surface at least. But Zinn wasn't smiling.

'… he wishes to know your decision, Queen Zinn,' Shadow Demon was saying in a polite, but firm tone. 'You have had time since your coronation to consider you position. It is something that my Master has the utmost concern for.'

'I doubt Venger truly cares what my _position_ is,' replied Zinn, aching her eyebrows. Eric smiled. Whatever else, Zinn certainly had Venger's number!

'And yet, my Master is not patient,' Shadow Demon said. 'He wishes an answer.'

'Your Master can complain all he wants,' said Zinn coldly. 'But Venger has no power to match me, not while I am Queen!'

Eric waited for the retort, but instead Shadow Demon bowed.

'True, Queen Zinn,' he said. 'But that is why an alliance would be to your advantage.'

_Alliance!_ thought Eric. _That's not good._

'I see no advantage in allying myself with Venger!' said Zinn firmly. 'I am Queen here, and this is where I rule, not Venger!'

'But you have not yet subdued your brother Lawrence…'

_She has a _brother_? Since when!_

'Do not dare presume to mention him,' Zinn snarled as the polite façade vanished in an instant, 'or I would strike you down where you stood, Demon of the Shadow or not!'

To Eric's amazement, Shadow Demon actually seemed worried by the threat! He backed away slightly, and out of Eric's line of sight.

'Yes, Queen Zinn,' said Shadow Demon. 'But once you have what you need from your Consort…' Eric gulped, '…neither he nor you will have need of the weapon.'

Queen Zinn regarded Shadow Demon carefully.

'And that really is all that your Master wishes? That Shield, and nothing else? It seems so insignificant.'

Shadow Demon drifted forward once more, bobbing up and down, and seemed to be rubbing his hands together in glee. It was not a sight that filled Eric with confidence.

'Just the Shield, Queen Zinn,' Shadow Demon said. 'You would have no need of it, but my Master wishes it. He would be _most_ grateful.'

'How grateful?' she demanded. 'Certainly grateful enough to provide me with a suitable reward.'

'Grateful enough to extend your lands,' Shadow Demon said. 'From your southern borders down to the mountains.'

'Is that all?'

'That is enough for one weapon,' said Shadow Demon. He seemed to shift closer to Zinn, then added quietly: 'If there were more weapons, then the reward would, of course, be greater. _Cumulatively_ greater, of course.'

Shadow Demon shifted forward even further so he was virtually nose to nose.

'And if there were all six weapons, Venger would be in a position to grant you a great deal more than just _land._'

There was a moment's pause, and Eric could hear his heart thudding loudly. He hardly dared to breath for fear he would be discovered. Now Zinn would be after his friends as well!

'But I neither know, nor care, where the other children now are,' she said haughtily. 'They will be long since gone and I am not going to waste my valuable time and resources chasing after them.'

'The other children are with your brother,' Shadow Demon said, and Eric could hear the malicious glee in his voice. 'In the forest.'

For a moment, Eric was confused, trying to fit this information in with what he knew. His friends were with Zinn's brother in the forest! But Sheila had said they were staying with that Solarz-creature. So… that meant that Solarz was Zinn's brother!

Eric frowned, running over his logic again, just to make sure he hadn't missed something obvious. Solarz was Zinn's brother…There wasn't a lot of family resemblance!

But more importantly, Sheila had been telling the truth about…

'Your brother is growing weaker every day,' said Shadow Demon. 'But he will not truly be defeated until you have completed the conditions of the spell.'

Eric frowned more deeply and a shiver of fear passed up his spine. _Spell?_

'That spell is not your concern,' hissed Zinn.

'Those children should be your concern, if they should help your brother…'

'_Silence_!'

But Shadow Demon didn't keep quiet.

'Soon,' he continued, 'they will be easy for you to defeat, with your Stalker army, when Lawrence can no longer help them. Of course, if you had your Consort by your side…'

Shadow Demon left the sentence hanging in an infuriating way, and Zinn nodded.

'Those children will be easy to defeat,' murmured Venger's servant.

'I see,' said Zinn quietly. 'I see exactly what Venger wants of me.'

So did Eric. He stared blankly ahead, his mind racing. Venger wanted Zinn to do his dirty work, and get rid of his friends, and get rid of her brother at the same time. Oh, _shit_! This was bad. This was really, really, really bad! What was he going to do?

'My Master expects your answer,' said Shadow Demon. 'But it will have to be soon.'

Zinn nodded.

'It is a pity,' she said wistfully. 'I would have liked the opportunity to enjoy my Consort one more time. His innocence was a pleasant change, as was his complete submission.'

Eric did not like the way she said that, not in the least! And "one more time" didn't sound good either!

The tone suddenly changed and she looked down haughtily on Shadow Demon.

'Tell your Master that we have an agreement,' she said firmly.

_Oh shit_! What was he going to do!

Shadow Demon melted into the shadows and vanished as Zinn moved to the door. She reached out to an ornate pull that was hidden in the shadows. Far off, there was the distant sound of a bell.

A few moments later, there were more footsteps coming down the stairs and within a minute, two of Zinn's personal guards had appeared.

They bowed.

'Yes, my Queen,' they said in unison.

'Go to the King's room,' she said. 'And bring him here! Immediately!'

Zinn paced, and Eric watched her with a leaden feeling in his stomach. His legs hurt from sitting in such an awkward position and he was scared. No he was terrified. And he had no idea what to do. He didn't dare risk moving, or confronting her at the moment. He had to get out. But how? In only a few minutes they would be back with the news that he wasn't in his rooms.

What Zinn would do then, he couldn't guess, but it probably wouldn't be of any use to him. He was trapped.

Eric let his eyes close. He was trapped and he was alone. His friends were miles away and had no idea he was in trouble, and probably wouldn't care even if they did know, especially after the way he'd been rude to Sheila.

After far too short a time, there was the sound of running feet on the stairs and the Captain appeared, flushed and worried.

'My Queen, he has gone!

Zinn's eyes narrowed and Eric felt sick at the venomous look she gave.

'He must still be in the castle,' she said with a feral snarl. 'Double the guards, no one gets in or out but me! Find him. NOW!'

Zinn gave the room one more thunderous look and swept out.

Eric waited until the sound of her footsteps had faded, and then for a few more minutes after that. Then, when he was sure he was alone, he slowly let him self slump back against the wall.

He had explored the castle before, obviously, but Zinn had lived here all her life! There were guards who probably knew it even better. He had no way out.

What the fuck was he going to do?

He pushed himself up and crept to the stairs, holding his breath. He had to go and do something. He didn't dare stay down there, he felt trapped like a rat in a cage, he would be too obvious.

The first place they'd look would be his rooms. And the places he went most often, the gardens, the halls, and probably the kitchens too.

He would have to be smarter than that. He would have to out think them. He would have to…

He let out a sigh. It was hopeless! He might as well give himself up right now! He should just march up to the nearest Guard and get it over with!

But for some reason, he didn't. He kept on going up the stairs and hiding in the shadows. At the tops of the stairs, he waited for a while before moving along the darkened corridors, trusting that the guards wouldn't be looking in places they wouldn't expect him to be. Guards ran past without seeing him, and he felt his hopes rising. There were shouts from the hall up head, and the footsteps of the Guards died away.

With no idea where he was going or where to hide, all he could do was keep going.

Eric stopped by one of the windows and looked out. There were Guards everywhere, he could see movement all round the gardens, and men running down the paths to the gate.

This was just as bad as he'd imagined. Now he really, really, thought about it, he was beginning to wish he had stayed in the dungeons! Or just given up!

But he hadn't given up. Not just yet. Maybe he could give Zinn a run for her money. He took a deep breath. If he was going to do that, his first priority was to find somewhere in this god-forsaken castle to hide.

He kept moving, always turning away from the sounds of movement, heading roughly in the direction of the gardens. He didn't dare go out, he would be far too easy to see in his bright yellow armour.

Instead, he turned his attentions to the servant's quarters. He'd never been anywhere near them, but he had seen the doors. They might be locked, but it was his best chance. The Guards wouldn't be likely to look for him there. Well, maybe they were, but only as a last resort. There were so many other places he could be, nicer places he could be. It might buy him a little time.

He walked as quickly and quietly as he could down to the darkest parts of the castle, parts where he thought no one would be. Every now and again, he heard footsteps, but he managed to keep himself hidden, and he didn't see anyone.

At last he found himself but on of the rooms where gardeners kept their tools and clothes and, as the sound of searching seemed to be getting closer, he decided that this was as good a place as any to hide himself, as least for the time being.

Slowly, he began shifting some of the tools, trying to make a hiding hole large enough for him and the Shield to be completely hidden.

'M-m-my Lord?'

Eric jumped about a foot in the air, whipping round in the direction of the voice.

But it was one of the gardeners, standing by the closed door, holding a burning torch and a trowel, and looking very confused. Then he recognised the man.

_Oh, shit._ It was Rayner, that gardener he'd managed to insult a few days ago! That was all he fucking needed!

Eric opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

'M-my L-Lord?' stuttered Rayner, looking round the room in surprise. 'Are you alright? My Lord? Why are you...? What...?'

There was a loud crashing noise from outside the doors and Eric looked round, terrified.

'Please,' he muttered. 'Please help.'

Rayner stared at him.

'My Lord?'

'They're trying to kill me!' Eric blurted out. 'You've got to hide me! Please! You have to get in touch with my friends, they're in the forest with that Solarz and…'

At the name, Rayner caught his breath.

'Lawrence! He's in the forest? He's still alive?'

'Please, just help me,' pleaded Eric. 'If the Guards come…'

'I can't,' said Rayner in a panic. 'I cannot lie to them. If they come for you, I cannot lie. I do not dare!'

'But please…'

It was too late to say anything else. The Guards must have heard the talking and come to investigate.

There was a sharp rap at the door.

'Open up! Open up in the name of the Queen!'

For a moment Rayner hesitated, and Eric's hope soared. But then the gardener opened the door and let the Guards inside.

At a loss for words, Eric glared at Rayner, though he knew that couldn't _really_ expect someone he'd insulted to help him out, especially not someone loyal to the Queen. Then the Guards grabbed hold of his arms in an uncomfortably firm grip and escorted him back down to the dungeons. And his wife.

* * *


	7. Final Insult

Chapter 7

Final Insult.

For a long while, Eric didn't open his eyes. But he didn't need to. He knew where he was. He recognised the smell; he was back in the dungeons. At first, he had sworn, and struggled to get up, but he couldn't he seemed to be fastened down to the table. He shivered, screwed up his eyes and swore again. How the _fuck_ did he keep getting himself into this sort of thing? When was he ever going to learn?

The next thing he tried was to move over, but that didn't work. He shifted uncomfortably, his arms fixed by his sides. He couldn't see to move his legs either.

It was cold, and Eric lay still for a long time, just waiting to see what disaster would happen next. Eventually, he grew bored as well as cold, and slowly opened his eyes to see Queen Zinn looking down over him. He started in surprise, but Zinn didn't move. Then he realised it was that picture, that awful, smug and leering portrait of the Queen down in the dungeons.

Eric let out a long sigh. He couldn't quite remember what had happened after the Guards had found him in the servant's quarters. He didn't remember being brought down to the dungeons, that was for certain. He didn't even remember leaving the halls upstairs. Maybe he'd passed out. Maybe he'd been hit on the head (though his head wasn't sore). Maybe he'd been drugged.

It didn't really matter. Whichever way, he had no idea how long he'd been stuck down here. He shivered once more, trying to force himself to remember. But it was no good. He shifted again, hoping to make some small difference, but that didn't work either. He finally realised that the main thing bothering him was the fact he was so cold.

And then he realised he wasn't wearing any clothes.

None whatsoever.

_Fuck! _How could this possibly get any worse!

It was a stupid question. He already knew how it was going to get worse. Zinn was going to appear any moment and probably laugh at him. Maybe the others would deign to show up as well and join the comedy chorus! A brief image of a line of laughing faces made Eric wince. But it was only for a moment.

That wasn't going to happen. They weren't going to come and help him. No one knew he was there. No one was going to come charging to his rescue. No one knew he was in trouble. For a tiny moment, Eric was almost glad that none of his friends could see him like this, but it was only fleeting. He would have been able to live with the teasing, just to get out of here.

There was the sound of slow footsteps on the steps and Eric tensed. This was it.

The footsteps grew louder and louder, and Eric tried hard to stop himself shaking.

At last Zinn appeared, looking even more smug than her picture on the wall.

At first she ignored him, not even bothering to even acknowledge his existence. Instead, she went across to the painting and pushed it at one side. Slowly, the painting swung round, pivoting in the middle like a revolving door. On the back of her picture Eric caught a glimpse of another painting, of a brown-haired, handsome man in royal robes and a crown.

There was a clatter that pulled Eric's attention back to Zinn. She was pulling out a large golden bowl from the alcove behind the picture, along with its stand and a big, black book.

She busied herself with setting up the bowl, and resolutely ignored Eric at every opportunity. Eric, for once and much to his own surprise, didn't care. The snub to his own ego aside, he had no desire to interact with the woman at all. Though he was terrified of what she might do to him, he was damned if he was going to beg or plead with her. He had some pride left! She could just fuck off!

Minutes passed as Zinn worked by his side, collecting ingredients and books and generally fussing around by his side.

Eventually, Zinn said something incomprehensible and something grey drifted out of the shadows. _Two somethings_. The Two Phantom Stalkers! They looked down at him with expressionless faces that Eric found even more unbearable than Zinn's smugness.

'My Queen,' said one, 'we wait to do your bidding.'

She looked at her servants and smiled, the tenderness in the expression taking Eric by surprise. She had never looked at him like that, and he was supposed to be her husband!

Zinn held out the gigantic golden bowl, holding it steady with some difficultly.

Neither Stalker hesitated. They opened their mouths and seemed to vomit up grey, sparkling sand. Eric would have recoiled but stuck to the table, there was nowhere left to go.

He could only watch as the two Stalkers disgorged more and more sand. They seemed to be turning themselves inside out, pouring out more and more. Zinn seemed to be struggling to keep the bowl safe, but she managed.

The Stalkers began to shrink and the bowl filled with sand and dust. Smaller and smaller they grew until finally, one after another, they both vanished with a slight pop. All that was left was a bowl of sparkling sand.

Zinn quickly lowered it back to its pedestal and picked up her book, flicking through the pages. She flashed a slight smile at Eric.

With that, she scooped up a small handful, and threw it in the air over him, saying some unintelligible words as she did so. The sand fell on his skin, and they seemed to turn into dots of orange flame and burn. In spite of himself, Eric screamed as the hundreds of tiny grains seared his skin.

As the pain faded to a throbbing ache, he looked down. Where the sand had touched him, his skin had red blotches and small patches of grey inside them.

'What are you doing?' he asked in a whisper.

'So you can still speak,' she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 'What a surprise.'

'What are you doing?' he asked again.

Zinn leaned closer to him, a slightly manic gleam in here eye.

'You will be my Champion, and my Defender, and the Defender of this Kingdom,' she said triumphantly. 'You shall be invincible! I shall make you invincible! And with you in my command, I shall defeat the enemies of Zinn!'

'Oh,' Eric managed. 'Oh.'

She smiled at him, which only served to make him feel worse.

'You shall be an invincible Phantom Stalker, of tremendous power,' she told him. 'And you shall obey only me!'

Eric frowned. Was that really all she wanted? Somehow he had expected something a bit more impressive. Maybe there was something she wasn't telling him. Why did she need a Champion anyway? Why did she have to turn him into a Stalker? What else did she have planned? Eric tried to speak, and ask her, but he couldn't form the ideas into words, to ask any of the questions.

From the look on her face, Zinn still didn't seem that pleased with the results of her spell. She reached into the alcove once more and pulled out a silvery spoon, with which she gave the dust a gentle stir. Eric watched as her expression changed to one of concern. But it was a safe bet that she wasn't concerned about him, she was concerned about that dust!

At last, she carefully scooped up spoonful of the dust, and muttering some more unintelligible words, she blew the dust from the spoon over him.

This time, as the dust landed on him, the pain seemed a thousand times worse, the pinpricks of agony over his flesh had grown to be huge disks of white-hot fire.

Perhaps he had passed out. He was never sure about the next few minutes, it all seemed to be a blur.

At last, he saw Zinn standing next to him, looking furious. From that, his pain-fuzzed mind deduced that something wasn't going right. He watched her pace. He watched her sulk, and he watched her pace again. At last she turned to him.

'What have you done?' she hissed. 'What's stopping me? Why isn't this working?'

Still numb with pain, Eric barely managed a tiny shake of his head.

That answer didn't please Zinn in the least as she slapped him hard across his face.

'_How!_' she hissed again. 'How is it that you can stop my spell from working? How are you shielding yourself from its effe…?'

She stopped abruptly. But Eric wasn't paying that much attention. If those were the shielded effects, how much worse was it going to get! He felt light-headed again, wondering what he could do or say to stop her, or to make her change her mind.

When he next looked at Zinn, her expression was one of conceited delight. Eric's heart went colder still as, bending down, she lifted his Shield off the floor and grinned at him like a Cheshire cat with a monstrous ball of sting.

Eric looked at his Shield, and sure enough, it was glowing. It was _shielding_ him.

'That was clever, for a Cavalier,' she said sweetly. 'But that's not going to help you anymore. There's nothing else to help you now.'

And with a derisive snort, she tossed the Shield across the room, towards the door.

* * *


	8. Inner Peace

Chapter 8

Inner Peace

The Shield crashed to the floor, and Zinn turned back to the golden bowl of dust.

In those few seconds, Eric knew there was nothing he could do to stop what was happening. There was nothing he could do to stop her changing him, or even killing him. But the anger and the fear all washed away, leaving an eerie peace that he didn't understand. What was done couldn't be undone. If he hadn't been such a jerk to his friends, this might have been different.

He had expected to feel regret, for everything. For coming to the Realm, for trying to tag on to the group in the first place back at the Amusement Park; and for helping out Sheila and Bobby when they needed it. He knew he could have backed out at the ceremony, but he hadn't. It was his on choice, and his own decision. He found it hard to regret. He was beyond regret.

He closed his eyes. There was nothing left to do.

Suddenly there was the sound of stomping feet from the top of the stairs, and Eric saw Zinn look round in confusion. Two Guards appeared, red faced and out of breath.

'What is the meaning of this!' bellowed Zinn at the worried Guards.

'It's… It's Lawrence, my Queen,' said one of them. 'He's here! Right now!'

'_WHAT_!' she screeched.

'He is here, with Dungeonmaster's Pupils! We cannot stop them!'

Eric's heart seemed to miss a beat and he gave a sudden start. They were here! They'd come to help! He wasn't as alone as he'd thought!

But Zinn glared at Eric, smothering the fleeting feeling of joy he'd felt.

'How? How did you summon them?' she demanded.

Eric opened and closed his mouth a few times. He had no idea how they had known what was going on, and he had no idea how he was going to try and explain it to Zinn, either!

'Go!' she said to the Guards. 'Find them. Stop them. Kill them if you have to, and get me those weapons!'

The door opened and the Guards ran out and Zinn whipped round to glare venomously at Eric.

'How did you do it!' she hissed. 'How did you call them so quickly?'

He tried to shrug, but it was difficult to do while pinned down. She looked furious.

'It is of no matter,' she said. 'They will not get the chance to rescue you. They are not going to ruin my chance!'

She moved to the spellbook and began to read in an unknown language. At her words, the sand in the bowl started to shift, as if moved by unseen winds. Eric gulped. If that sand touched him, the pain would be unbearable.

Zinn was concentrating on the words, not look at anything else, and all Eric could see was the shifting sand and his wife, intent on turning him into…

_A Stalker,_ thought Eric_. That's what she is doing. She's turning me into a stalker, to be her slave._

But even as he stared in terror, he noticed something moving behind Zinn. He wasn't absolutely certain what it was, but that didn't matter. A second later there was a thud and Zinn staggered, then sank to the ground.

Even as the Queen disappeared from view, there was a shimmer of light and the swish of a Cloak.

_Sheila_!

Eric had never been so pleased to see anyone in all his life, in spite of being naked and tied to a table. Sheila, careful to keep looking at his face, moved forward, beside him.

'Sheila, thank God it's you!' he gasped.

She looked at him with a smile, or maybe even a smirk, but the expression changed the instant she saw the red marks.

'What's been going on?' she asked. 'What the hell did she do to you!'

'You don't wanna know,' he muttered.

Carefully, Sheila fumbled with the ropes on his wrists, then moved awkwardly to untie his ankles. She looked away for a moment as Eric struggled to sit up. Even though his head didn't hurt, the room still seemed to spin and lurch wildly each time he moved. But at last he sat perched on the edge of the table, able to shield most of his nakedness. Sheila still didn't look directly at him, and her cheeks were tinged with red.

'We should go right now,' said Sheila. 'We can't waste too much time.'

Moving again was the last thing on Eric's agenda just them. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts and steel himself to move again.

'What are you doing here?' he asked. 'How did you know what had happened?'

Fidgeting with the hood of her Cloak, the Thief smiled.

'Someone came from the Palace to find Solarz, you know, Zinn's brother, he's really called Lawrence. He was under a spell.' Eric nodded. 'Anyway, this man was loyal to Lawrence, and came to warn him about what Zinn was planning.'

'Who was it?'

'I don't know his name. I think he was a gardener, though.'

_Rayner_? thought Eric, smiling properly for the first time in many hours. _He went to get my friends_!

'We got here just a short while ago. The others distracted the Guards while Lawrence showed me the way to the Dungeons. He said that was where you and Zinn would probably be.'

At the mention of his wife's name, Eric felt a pang of fear. However sore he was going to be, he shouldn't really just sit around and wait for her to wake up! He moved forward slightly, edging towards vertical.

Sheila paused, and looked away from Eric, her cheeks turning a deeper red. His embarrassment at his nakedness had evaporated under the pain from the marks on his skin, and when he tried to stand, he found it next to impossible. What little of his ego that was left standing was going to be ripped to shreds when the others heard about this!

'I'll help you get out of here,' said Sheila, managing to compose herself. 'But we've gotta go quickly.'

'No,' he said firmly.

'What!'

'Not without a promise.'

He had to do this now, before any of the others appeared and before his resolved weakened any more.

'Eric, this is hardly the time.'

It was bad enough that she should have seen him like that, and seen what his "wife" had done to him. He couldn't risk anyone else finding out.

'Promise me you won't tell the others,' he said, gripping her arm. 'You've got to promise on your life! Please, please don't tell them anything!' _Especially not Diana_, he added to himself. _Please, please, please, never tell Diana_!

'But…' stammered Sheila. 'They're gonna want to know what happened, and what that bitch did to you! They won't make fun.'

'Promise!' he said again. 'No one else will ever know.'

'Eric, this isn't a good…'

'_Promise_!'

Sheila frowned in consternation, but nodded.

'Oh, ok, if it means that much to you! I promise.'

Eric still scowled at her.

'I promise on my life, cross my heart and hope to die,' Sheila amended, making a little crossing motion on he chest.

'Thanks,' said Eric.

Zinn hadn't even twitched, so the Cavalier also insisted on putting his armour back on, even though trying to pull on that mail shirt hurt like Hell. He picked up the Shield from where it had landed by the wall, now with a slightly different bend to it.

His whole body ached, he could barely stand up, but that didn't matter. He looked down at his "wife" as she lay on the floor beside the table and scowled. She looked peaceful, as if she was asleep, with her black hair fanned out over the floor and her face, just like that time a few nights ago, after they had…

He took a sudden, sharp breath, and turned to look Sheila directly in the eye.

'Right,' he said. 'Let's get the _fuck_ out of here!'

* * *

The battle was over. The Kindom of Zinn was safe; Lawrence was King and everyone seemed content to live happily ever after.

But the Young Ones had taken their leave quickly of the castle. Eric had tried to find the gardener to say thanks, but the man seemed to have vanished off the face of the Realm.

Even so, Eric hadn't wanted to stay and Hank had agreed with him, overruling the Barbarian's protests and Lawrence's vocal desire to "honour" them for their help and support.

Instead, they had walked for a few hours into the forest away from the castle, and away from everything else. And when they'd stopped, Eric had claimed to be too tired to do anything but sleep.

But Eric only pretended to sleep. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, but he just couldn't seem to rest.

He could still hear them talking, everyone except Bobby. He was off with Uni finding water and firewood, and Eric was grateful for that. At least the had had the decency to wait for that before taking the piss out of him.

The others had been sniggering about his predicament for a while, trying to get Sheila to tell them more details.

'Oh, c'mon Sheila! Tell us what happened,' Diana asked at last. 'Surely you can tell. We want details.'

There was a silence, longer than the other silences from the Thief and Eric began to wonder if Sheila would keep her word.

'Sheila,' prompted Diana with undisguised amusement. 'Come on, tell us something! He looked as if he had the measles! What on Earth did his_ wife_ do to him?'

There was more sniggering.

'Look,' snapped Sheila in an exasperated tone. 'It's not funny, ok.'

'Only Eric could be captured by his own wife!' said Presto with a snigger. Eric heard a thud and an ouch, as if Sheila had just whacked the Magician on the arm.

'It's not funny,' Sheila said, a lot more sternly this time. 'He got himself into that to help Bobby.'

The sniggering subsided.

'She hurt him,' said Sheila in a very low tone, almost too quiet for Eric to hear. 'She really hurt him. I heard his screams of pain. She was going to turn him into a Stalker and make him a mindless slave too. It might have killed him! And he was only trying to help save Bobby, don't you go forgetting that, Arthur Preston!'

There was a grunt followed by a sombre silence. Eric could guess what the others, especially Diana, were thinking. But he was grateful no one said it.

'Do you think he'll recover?' asked Hank at last. 'Dungeonmaster said that unusual things happen to the Royal House at Zinn. Do you think he'll be ok?'

'He'll be fine, just as long as we don't tease him about it,' Sheila said firmly. 'And that means you too, Diana. It's not fair to tease him about that.'

'Yeah, well, ok, I won't' said the Acrobat grudgingly. 'But it's a good job he didn't sleep with her, or he'd really have something to be teased about!'

There was a soft chorus of laughter.

He winced at the memory. _It doesn't matter_, he told himself. It was over. He didn't have to go back, and Zinn could rot in hell for all he cared.

Eric closed his eyes tighter and willed himself to go to sleep.

* * *

The winds rustled softly through the Gardens of Zinn, sending the sweet waft of exotic plants up into the air. Two people stood side by side at the edge of the Gardens, close to the gates, looking to the moons.

'It was a very good try, Zinn,' said King Lawrence.

Trapped in a changing-spell, the small, wizened woman next to him snorted and didn't answer.

'Yes, you were very close that time,' he continued. 'But you failed. It's my turn in charge now!'

The old woman turned to scowled at the King.

'I doubt you have the resolve to try!' she said, as loudly as her croaking voice could manage.

'Try I will, and then the Kingdom will be mine.'

There was a pause.

'Your Consort did not really seem to be fitting for such an important position,' said Lawrence. 'I was most surprised that you chose him over the Ranger.'

The old woman suddenly laughed, a light, girlish laugh that seemed incongruous with her infirm frame.

'Oh Lawrence! He was so delightfully innocent and naïve!' she said with a sigh. 'You can't imagine how much fun I could have had with him.'

'Well, it wouldn't have worked, anyway,' said Lawrence. 'Dungeonmaster would still have got in your way, somehow! He always does.'

The old woman looked keenly at her brother.

'So bitter, so angry, I wonder, I wonder…' she said. Lawrence glared back at her. Zinn laughed again.

'You asked her, didn't you,' she said through the laughter. 'That pretty little red-haired girl. And she said _no_! Even after all you had done for her!'

Lawrence looked furious for a moment at her gloating, but he nodded.

'Better luck next time,' Zinn said with a smirk. 'At least I actually managed to get married! And what's the best you've done?'

'One of these days, sister,' said Lawrence coldly. 'One of these days one of us is going to win, once and for all! And then the Realm shall tremble at our feet.'

'Indeed, brother,' she said. Then Zinn turned to the gate of the Gardens, and started the long walk out into the forest.

Lawrence watched her for a few moments, until she was out of sight, engulfed in the gloom of the evening.

'Indeed, sister,' he murmured. 'Let the games begin again!'

* * *

The End.


End file.
